Panthers Reach Finals, Set Records on Friday at Ohio State
11/17/2017 10:00:00 PM | Swimming & Diving
RESULTS: Friday Prelims (PDF) | Friday Finals (PDF) | Saturday Live
COLUMBUS, Ohio—The Pitt swimming & diving teams opened the prestigious Ohio State Invitational on Friday with numerous impressive individual performances, highlighted by four championship finalists and two record-setting swims.
Sophomore men's swimmer Samy Helmbacher led the way for the Panthers on the men's side, placing third in the A Final of the 200-yard IM with a time of 1:45.76. Helmbacher's preliminary time Friday morning of 1:45.77 was good enough to break the Pitt school record in the 200 IM previously held by Gabe Larson before the sophomore from France lowered his mark even further in the evening session.
In the women's events, seniors Lina Rathsack, Amanda Richey and Meme Sharp also advanced to A Finals on Friday at the Ohio State Invitational, one of the premier college swimming meets of the fall.
Richey took third in the 500-yard free with a personal-best time in the final of 4:42.24, while Rathsack placed fourth in the 200-yard IM with a finals time of 1:57.66 that tied her own Pitt school record.
In diving, Sharp earned Pitt's best individual Friday finish in the 3-meter diving event, placing second with a six-dive finals score of 315.00.
"It's great to see our athletes reach the finals tonight at such a competitive meet like this," Pitt head coach John Hargis said. "We had a lot of season-best times today; and that was coming off a hard week of training with tired bodies. To break school records in these circumstances is truly incredible. We're swimming faster than we have all year, and we hope that continues throughout the rest of the weekend."
Other top Pitt finishes included Armin Remenyi (15th, 4:25.55) Brian Lovasik (17th, 4:27.38), Luke Smutny (19th, 4:33.37) and Aaron Sett (20th, 4:34.59) finishing in a bunch in the men's 500 free; Valerie Daigneault (15th, 2:00.65) and Eben Vorster (18th, 1:49.46) reaching the B Finals in the 200 IM; and Noah Marble taking 18th on men's 1-meter with a score of 268.45.
After the first day of the Ohio State Invitational, the Pitt women's team ranks sixth overall with 82 points, while the men's squad sits in eighth with 59 points.
The Panthers will return to the pool at the Ohio State Invitational tomorrow for another busy day of action, which begins at 11 a.m. with more preliminary events before finals continue at 6 p.m.
Pitt A-Finalists at the Ohio State Invitational
Meme Sharp, 2nd, Women's 3-Meter Diving, 315.00
Samy Helmbacher, 3rd, 200 IM, 1:45.76
Amanda Richey, 3rd, 500 Free, 4:42.24
Lina Rathsack, 4th, 200 IM, 1:57.66
Pitt School Records Set at the Ohio State Invitational
Samy Helmbacher, Men's 200 IM, 1:45.76
Lina Rathsack, Women's 200 IM, 1:57.66
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COLUMBUS, Ohio—The Pitt swimming & diving teams opened the prestigious Ohio State Invitational on Friday with numerous impressive individual performances, highlighted by four championship finalists and two record-setting swims.
Sophomore men's swimmer Samy Helmbacher led the way for the Panthers on the men's side, placing third in the A Final of the 200-yard IM with a time of 1:45.76. Helmbacher's preliminary time Friday morning of 1:45.77 was good enough to break the Pitt school record in the 200 IM previously held by Gabe Larson before the sophomore from France lowered his mark even further in the evening session.
In the women's events, seniors Lina Rathsack, Amanda Richey and Meme Sharp also advanced to A Finals on Friday at the Ohio State Invitational, one of the premier college swimming meets of the fall.
Richey took third in the 500-yard free with a personal-best time in the final of 4:42.24, while Rathsack placed fourth in the 200-yard IM with a finals time of 1:57.66 that tied her own Pitt school record.
In diving, Sharp earned Pitt's best individual Friday finish in the 3-meter diving event, placing second with a six-dive finals score of 315.00.
"It's great to see our athletes reach the finals tonight at such a competitive meet like this," Pitt head coach John Hargis said. "We had a lot of season-best times today; and that was coming off a hard week of training with tired bodies. To break school records in these circumstances is truly incredible. We're swimming faster than we have all year, and we hope that continues throughout the rest of the weekend."
Other top Pitt finishes included Armin Remenyi (15th, 4:25.55) Brian Lovasik (17th, 4:27.38), Luke Smutny (19th, 4:33.37) and Aaron Sett (20th, 4:34.59) finishing in a bunch in the men's 500 free; Valerie Daigneault (15th, 2:00.65) and Eben Vorster (18th, 1:49.46) reaching the B Finals in the 200 IM; and Noah Marble taking 18th on men's 1-meter with a score of 268.45.
After the first day of the Ohio State Invitational, the Pitt women's team ranks sixth overall with 82 points, while the men's squad sits in eighth with 59 points.
The Panthers will return to the pool at the Ohio State Invitational tomorrow for another busy day of action, which begins at 11 a.m. with more preliminary events before finals continue at 6 p.m.
Pitt A-Finalists at the Ohio State Invitational
Meme Sharp, 2nd, Women's 3-Meter Diving, 315.00
Samy Helmbacher, 3rd, 200 IM, 1:45.76
Amanda Richey, 3rd, 500 Free, 4:42.24
Lina Rathsack, 4th, 200 IM, 1:57.66
Pitt School Records Set at the Ohio State Invitational
Samy Helmbacher, Men's 200 IM, 1:45.76
Lina Rathsack, Women's 200 IM, 1:57.66
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